Saturday, 9 December 2017

Tis' the season for binge watching elf, a chocolate diet and festivities galore.

Amongst the festive rush, buying presents can become tricky - after all, with so much on offer how do you know what the best gifts are?!

Here are my beauty gift picks, I really loved writing this post so I hope you enjoy it!

First up are fragrances, I think they are the perfect personal gift to give to a family member, friend or loved one this Christmas. There is something very sentimental about someone gifting you a scent, and something that sticks in your mind whenever you wear the scent.

How beautiful is this gift set from Burberry*? This is exclusive to World Duty Free which makes it an even more special gift this Christmas. So when you are heading on your festive travels this December be sure to pop into World Duty Free to browse the beautiful (and discounted!) gifts they have on offer.

This set contains 5 miniature Burberry scents in a stunning gold embossed gift box and has a real luxury feel to it, as there are a variety of beautiful scents within this gift set it means that the lucky receiver is able to sample and try different perfumes as opposed to trying to guess which notes they like.

Next we have my current go-to perfume which is Olympea from Paco Rabanne, as you can probably see this is very loved. For me this scent is very wintery and well suited to this time of year, I know it's very popular and so a safe option to go for.

As a beauty enthusiast, I absolutely love receiving makeup for special occasions. There's something special about someone handpicking a particular product for you that makes it so special.

Nail polishes are always a winner and a gal can never have too many! This gift set from Leighton Denny contains two beautiful shades (one glitter polish, one with a beautiful shiny finish) the shades are very versatile and perfect for Autumn and Winter!

On the theme of things gals can never have too many of we have lipsticks (telling myself this daily) and what better way to kick start 2018 than with some beautiful new lipstick faves.

I don't think I'll ever stop raving about Charlotte Tilbury lipsticks, I currently own 7 of them and my wish list is forever expanding! They're a real luxury treat for makeup lovers and something I'd definitely recommend if your budget is sarong £25 - I know that this is something a lot of girls wouldn't necessarily treat themselves to but would adore.

Another go-to brand for me is always Urban Decay, I'm yet to find something that disappoints me from them so I know I can trust that the products will be well loved by everyone.

I love to give makeup gifts that are a little out of someones comfort zone, this allows them to try something new that they will (hopefully) love and appreciate. These liquid lipsticks from Urban Decay come in a selection of bright and beautiful shades, they're also waterproof and last on the lips- making them the perfect 'out there' gift for a lipstick lover.

and last but not least is this beautiful palette, also from Urban Decay - it's currently in the sale for under £30 so an absolute steal!

I think skincare is always a really lovely gift to give as it adds a little pamper and self indulgence into an everyday beauty routine.

Next up is the Aura mask from Antipodes, this is a moisturising mask and so is perfect for Winter when skin can start to feel and look dry - it's honey scented and smells divine this is my all time fave face mask.

Sticking to face masks we have the Double Wear mask from Estee Lauder, this is a luxury sheet mask that also leaves the skin feeling and looking amazing. Estee Lauder is such a well known timeless brand and so this gift will suit all ages.

What good is makeup without tools that work?! Brushes are definitely key to any good makeup look which makes them the perfect gift for a beauty lover.

First up and a luxury gift idea is the Blend Up from Magnitone which is incredible! it's an electrical makeup brush that blends for you (a lazy gals dream) this means that even beginners to makeup can achieve an effortless airbrushed finished.

I absolutely love my blend up and I know that fellow makeup lovers would too!

Last up we have body care, after all what is Christmas without some sort of smellies gift?

A gift guide would not be complete without Soap and Glory, I love the scent of the Righteous Butter and so this is my pick - however everything from S&G smells amazing and would make lovely gifts!

Bath Salts make a really love gift, especially for those who aren't keen on glittery bath bombs! These from Joan Collins* smell beautiful, leave your skin feeling soft and come in beautiful glass packaging- making them the perfect gift.

The Zoella brand is one I've used and love, I reviewed the Christmas range in this blog post and have used the hand cream religiously this past month!

Lastly, I really love the spa range from The Body Shop - it's luxury body care without the huge price tag which means you don't feel like you have to sparingly use the products! this oil is lovely for a pamper night or dry skin pick me up.

Saturday, 11 November 2017

I don't think I've quite shared my love for our home enough over on my blog, I am so so happy with our lovely little space that we have and every month we are adding lots more homely additions.

For years i've been most excited to get a home for Autumn & Winter, i'm obsessed with all things cosy and christmassy! but before we change everything to suit the festive season more I wanted to share a few snippets of our Autumnal home additions.

I love the contrasting burgundy wall we have in our bedroom, especially for this time of the year as it makes it seem cosy and warm!

I'm slightly obsessed with anything Charlotte Tilbury, from the oh-so-glam packaging to the quality of her makeup.. The brand never fails me when it comes to staying power and prettiness.

I received this lipstick for Christmas from Dan (he spoils me) and it is part of a limited edition set, within this you get both the lipstick and a gorgeous Charlotte Tilbury eyeliner presented in a beautiful light up box - so if you need an excuse to treat yourself, here it is!

This is a gorgeous matte burgundy toned lipstick and is very true to a traditional hollywood glam burgundy shade, where-as colours such as Glastonberry are slightly more purple toned.

It applies easily and stays on even after eating! as with all of CT lipsticks... it's the perfect autumnal shade and makes me feel very glam and special when wearing it so I know this will be worn lots throughout the upcoming party seasons.

B E N E F I T, B E N E T I N T

This is a lot more wearable on a everyday basis for those who are worried about braving a red lip this season, it's a very lightweight tinted oil so is nourishing as well as providing colour to the lips.

This is more of a handbag favourite for me as it allows me to pop on a tiny bit of colour on a everyday basis and not have to worry about toping it up every 5 minutes! this is a very subtle berry shade, almost a 'your lips but more autumnal' colour and a must have for Autumn! ps. this has a beautiful rose scent to it so makes applying even more enjoyable.

R I M M E L, 107

If ever they discontinue this lipstick, I will be heartbroken! such a cult classic and one that has been apart of my makeup collection for the past 5 years is the oh-so beautiful rimmel 107 lipstick.

This is a gorgeous autumnal shade that lasts on the lips and is super easy to apply, if you're looking for a drugstore burgundy lipstick then this is the one you've been looking for.

This was actually one of the first lipsticks I ever brought! its definitely worth the hype.

T O P S H O P, B E G U I L D E D

This is actually very similar to the Rimmel 107 lipstick, however this has a subtle shimmer running throughout it and the Rimmel lipstick is matte.

Its within the same price range as the 107 so I guess it comes down to your preference in finish, my decision to purchase this was slightly lead by the rose gold detailing on the packaging!

This is a beautiful shade and one that I will be wearing throughout A/W this year.

B A R E M I N E R A L S, D E V I O U S

If you follow me on Twitter you may have seen that I won a giveaway with the lovely ladies over at World Duty Free, this included some of the beautiful liquid lipsticks from Bare Minerals and one shade in particular that caught my eye for Autumn was devious.

The formula for these is very smooth and comfortable, something that is very important for me it comes to liquid lipsticks - I hate super thick, tacky formulas that dry and crack straight away!

This particular shade is a beautiful burgundy toned purple, meaning it makes your teeth look super white (a huge bonus!) these last a long time on the lips so there isn't the worry that you'll be walking around with patchy lipstick and make my lips look healthy and plump.

As this isn't drying and is a beautiful shade, it has made it as the final lipstick in my Autumn lipstick picks!

Sunday, 17 September 2017

I love experimenting with skincare, after all it can completely change the way you look and how your makeup applies.

However, when you find products that work for you it becomes hard to steer away from those and no matter how many different variations of a certain product you try you always come back to them.

Here are my holy grail evening skincare products, the ones that greet me as I come home from a long day at work and want to remove my makeup and get into my pyjamas to chill out asap.

S T E P O N E

No matter how tired/lazy I'm feeling I never sleep with my makeup on, my go-to makeup remover is the take the day off balm from Clinique.

This stuff is ah-mazing. It's gentle enough to use on the eyes and melts away my makeup with ease, you only need a small amount of this so a pot lasts so long! it's perfect for on the go makeup removal or as something to take on holiday, though I follow this with a second cleanse I could definitely get away with just using this alone- my Holy Grail makeup remover

S T E P T W O

I like to double cleanse, that way I can be sure that my skin is fresh and clean and ready for bed. For this I love to use a combination of my Magnitone Barefaced cleaning brush* and the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish.

Some very exciting news is that I'm a Magnitone brand ambassador! you can follow my link here http://lddy.no/jde to view all of the lovely Magnitone products that I've been loving.

The Magnitone bare faced brush works my cleanser into my skin, reaching those pesky areas where spots and blackheads tend to build up. It beeps when it's time to move onto the next section of your face which I love! it means I take the time to do my skincare routine and enjoy it as opposed to rushing. This is such a lovely addition to my evening skincare as it feels like a massage- girl needs to pamper her skin! I would highly recommend these as the perfect skincare routine companion.

The Liz Earle cleanse and polish was the first 'high end' skin care product I ever purchased and I was so excited to use it - this has now been in my routine for years and is my go-to cleanser, I'm yet to find anything that compares to this.

S T E P T H R E E

The Body Shops Vitamin E range has the most beautiful, delicate scent to it and leaves my skin feeling refreshed and plump - this is why this is my go-to night cream. I've tried many and always find myself coming back to this.

S T E P F O U R

Eye cream! though this is a step I usually forget and have to rush back into the bathroom to do.. I am obsessed with the Kiehls avocado eye cream, this is a lightweight eye cream that leaves my eye area feeling hydrated and awakened. This doesn't have a strong scent to it either so lays beautifully on top of the Vitamin E night cream.

S T E P F I V E

This step is essential at this time of year when the weather starts to become a whole lot colder, the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream is an absolute saviour! I hadn't tried this until last year when it completely saved my chapped lips and since then I've sworn by this, it's incredible and you need it in your routine.

Sunday, 10 September 2017

I know that it's only September but here is a long awaited beauty launch for Christmas 2017 - The Zoella beauty Christmas line. Last year I decided to purchase more Lush bits and pieces around Christmas and so gave the Zoella range a miss, I ended up picking up the Gingerbread scented hand cream in the January sales which I loved so I feel like I missed out! But it's so easy to get lost in the cliche Christmas gingerbread and cinnamon scented beauty items once the season to be jolly commences, so I'm very happy that the scent of these items are not traditionally Christmas scented. That being said, I feel like this scent could have been applied to any season- Peony, Winter Cranberry & Mint. This range smells and feels very luxurious, almost Jo Malone-esque and so I think this is aimed at young adults-adults as opposed to previous ranges that have felt very teenage aimed. Here are the items that I managed to get my hands on...

Snow Silky Body Lotion

First up, I adore the packaging for this product - combining whites, greys, coppers and pinks to make this super instagram worthy and visually pleasing.

I would say this is has a medium consistency, being the perfect in-between of delivering good hydration but not being overly heavy.

It has a beautiful fresh scent and is the perfect everyday moisturiser.

Winter Wonder Hand

Again, the packaging for this is beautiful! The bottle is the same design as last year in terms of how big it is and the lid that unscrews which I actually love- it allows you to get every last drop of product out.

The hand cream is super hydrating and absorbs easily and so is the perfect handbag addition for A/W.

Snow Scoop

I was so so happy to see that there was a bubble bath within this range, what's even better is that it comes in 400ml tub so there's plenty to last throughout A/W.

This smells a little sweeter than other products in the range but still smells beautiful, I can't wait to use this!

Snow Fresh Body Wash

I love the original Zoella beauty shower gel so I'm excited to use this to see how it compares. It has the same scent as the rest of the range and comes in a beautifully packaged grey, white, pink and copper bottle.

Snow Polished

I love it when exfoliators come in tubes as it makes them super easy and convenient to use in the shower. This is a fairly light exfoliator so perfect for A/W when you don't want anything too harsh.

Snow Smooth Body Butter

I really love this, the consistency reminds me of The Body Shop's body butters and at a fraction of the price! In Winter skin tends to become drier and so something a little heavier is definitely needed (goodbye dry knees and elbows!)

This is only a small 100ml pot so I'm sure i'll be repurchasing this soon!

Splash of Milk Bath Milk Powder

I've never used a bath milk powder before so i'm looking forward to seeing how this compares to a bath bomb, this is supposed to be really moisturising and relaxing so I'm excited to give this a try.

Monday, 28 August 2017

When Urban Decay very kindly sent me the new oh-so-dreamy Naked Heat palette I knew this would be my go-to transitional palette for the transition from Summer to Autumn (YAY!)

This is no exception to the other additions to the Naked family, with highly pigmented eyeshadows and gorgeous colours that are bound to make any eye colour pop- if you're sat there wondering if you need this in your makeup collection then the answer is YES SISTER, you do.

I love the array of colours that this palette has, from a stunning champagne to beautiful burgundy's- this will not be leaving my makeup bag anytime soon.

What do you think of the new Urban Decay Heat Palette? if you love this just as much as I do, you can find it here.

Sunday, 27 August 2017

The theme for August's box is 'Back to School' and contains lots of yummy treats to help tackle the back to school blues.

This month's box contained:

Seabrook Crisps

These were delicious! Considering Seabrook are quite a household brand, I was surprised that i'd never tried these before! They were full of flavour and a very nice lunchtime treat for work.

Pick uP! Black N White

I've already had these before and I absolutely love them, they are a biscuit treat with a layer of white chocolate in between them- delicious!

Hellmans Mayonnaise

This is such a handy thing to have to put back in the cupboards as almost everyone loves mayonnaise! and it makes the perfect addition to a sandwich.

JellySqueeze

Despite being 20 I'm very excited at the thought of jelly in my work lunch! these would be perfect if you have children as a quick treat or something special to add to their lunches.

Light Bites Popped Chips

These aren't really my thing so i've passed these on for someone else to try although i'm sure they're delicious.

Maggi Noodles

As with the above, I'm not really into noodles so have passed these on to a loving home for someone else to enjoy.

Coconut Water, Ginger & Vodka

As mentioned before, you can order either an alcoholic or non-alcoholic Degustabox deepening on your preferences, this sounds like a lovely summer BBQ treat or a pick me up.

Tobacco Green Pepper Sauce

The thought of this terrifies me! I cannot deal with spicy food, although I've kept this and I will attempt to use it somehow- any suggestions?

Orangina

I love the bottles for this- they're wearing Bikinis! I love Orangina so this was a lovely addition to the box.

Refreshers Softies

I love the original refreshers so I was excited to see these, they were lovely-very sour but lovely!

Cadbury Dairy Milk Big Taste Toffee

Gimme all the cadbury's chocolate! I love it when they bring out new variations of Cadbury's chocolate, i'm yet to find a variation that I don't like! I'm looking forward to settling down to watch TV tonight and enjoying this.

CurlyWurly Squirlies

We've had these before so already knew we'd love these! they're such a nostalgic treat and the perfect way to enjoy a childhood treat.

What do you think of this month's degustabox?

* please note that I was sent both the alcoholic and non-alcoholic additions.

The lovely people over at Degustabox have given me a discount code for my readers, to get money off of your next Degustabox you can use the code PVDUM